HAPPY BIRTHDAY JOE

Good evening! Glad you could join me for a while here on my front porch. It was an absolutely gorgeous day around the farm today. 70 degrees, give or take a degree, sunny, absolutely perfect. Enjoy the slight breeze, setting sun, and if you stay long enough, you'll see tonight's moon. Great stuff. I know now why I love Texas so much.

Today is January 8th, a couple of 'famous' people born today. One made rock and roll history, and although he is no longer on this earth-still has fans galore. Elvis Presely...wonder what he would look like if he had lived to celebrate this birthday? Well, another pretty special guy was born today. My son Joe...now I am getting old and forgetful and not the best at math, but if I have done my math correctly, he is now officially 31 (although his younger brother's math must be worse than mine for his version of Joe's age has added a few years to that figure)....anyway Joe is my oldest son, the third child born into our family. We had been blessed with two of the finest girls ever seen...and found out once again we would be welcoming another baby into our family. We kinda, sorta hoped we had made a little boy. Back then you didn't get to find out what gender your blessing would be. Sometimes mothers could figure it out by the way they felt, the way the baby was positioned, etc. But, for the most part it was...SURPRISE...you have a little baby________. However, his Dad had a dream or felt God drop a word into his heart because one day he said to me, 'we're going to have a boy and we are to name him Joseph, because he is going to be a strong man of God. Well, I painted his little room blue, began buying little blue clothes. And waited for the little guy's arrival. During the waiting time, I would go into the room and pray over the bed he was to sleep in, telling God, this is your child God, use him, make him strong, he is yours. Watch over him, protect him, use him..we held on to this prayer knowing God is faithful.



Anyway, I had no problems with sicknesses, no major complictions with any of the babies. I carried on my life as usual. Joe was due about the middle of January. I secretly hoped he would come early. Mothers, you've been there. You just feel so many emotions, excited, anxious, apprehensive...and BIG. Just let the little guy or gal come on down and meet and greet the world. I had gone into labor early with the girls and was certainly hoping this would be the case again. January 8th, a Sunday morning. It was pretty warm for Kentucky. Glen was co-pastoring a church in Cincinnati, so it was business as usual-everyone up, ready for church, out the door and off we go. I helped out in the church as I still do-whatever needed to be done. I remember right at the start of the Sunday School hour around 10:00, I began to feel a few pains. Nothing too major, just those waves of pain that a woman knows. After about 45 minutes of consistent pain, decided to call the doctor. To my surprise he said, go to the hospital. Although the previous births had been pretty easy-the labor seemed long...but the doctor was saying go on to the hospital. Well, I casually mentioned this to Glen, but this was Sunday morning, after all he had a sermon to preach, people to pray for-a pastor's duty. The hospital was a very short drive away-up one of the famous hills in Cincinnati. So around 11:45ish we decided we had better go on up to the hospital. Good thing we did, at about 12:38 Joseph Glen arrived! The labor was quick and relatively smooth EXCEPT for the last push when I could feel a horrible pulling and the doctor shouts STOP don't push. It seems this little critter had to make a big entrance into the world by arriving or trying to arrive with the cord wrapped around his neck 3 times! I remember the doctor pointing out to the others in the delivery room and saying something like,'look at this, the cord is wrapped around this little's guys neck 3 times!". Whew! Sounds like our Joe doesn't it? Mischief, 'look at me world', kinda entrance.

I remember when I first saw him and saying, "a boy, we got a little boy" and he looks just like my side of the family! A little boy. I didn't know too much about little boys. I am the oldest of 8-one brother and 6 sisters. It's me, my brother and then all little girls. This was going to be a new adventure for sure.

Well, we were on a budget-so all I could afford to stay at the hospital was the one night and then we arranged to be released the next day. No insurance coverage will kinda encourage you to do this. Somehow during the course of that day-the weather changed. From warm, to cold to colder. Glen had slipped out of the hospital to get my mom and bring her to the hospital to see this little grandson. In the course of that short amount of time-the weather went from bad to worse and an icy snowstorm hit-hard. I waited wondering where was my dear husband and mother. Well, a few hours later they limped in...it seems Glen had lost control on the ice and had a fender bender on the way back to the hospital. I recall that both he and my mother were pretty shook-up. I think this kinda thing is called life. It just happens. Not the best news to receive, but life does go on. Somehow Glen got us home the next day. And it was cold! That entire winter was cold. I remember Joe somehow getting his days and nights mixed up as babies can do. Awake all night and asleep most of the day. Other than that he was a sweet little guy-blending into the family, with an older sister who begged to hold and feed him and one still to young to realize she had just been displaced and no longer was the darling baby of the family. This was the time of 2 in diapers and 2 with bottles. Hard to take a bottle from a toddler who sees little brother drinking his to his heart's content. Days that blend one into the other when you are so busy you hardly know what your name is.. I had the pleasure of being a 'stay at home' mom at that time. It was what I wanted-it was right for me and it was my calling. Money was tight...funny thing...seems like it still is...but God did supply every need. I remember that was a cold winter, a lot of snow winter, record cold winter, kitchen pipes freezing up winter, record cold winter-yes I said it twice because two nights in a row that area had record cold temps...-24 and -25. I recall the front page of the paper...it was some kinda winter! But we had our cozy little family, in a cozy little house, and a Big God watching over us.

Turn the clock ahead 31 years later. Yes, there is a lot of growing, stretching, praying, and watching this little boy mature into a strong man of God. (Perhaps someday I'll share some of the in between the birth and now adventures with this son). I do see some of myself-both good and not so good-in all my children. Seems like we really don't get much of a choice in the matter. We are fearfully and wonderfully made (some of us with a little more fear than others). What do I see in Joe? I see a man who is very creative. He gets an idea to do something and he does it! He works hard-he will work until the job is done. He can tend to be a perfectionist (even more than me! Joe, is that possible???) he has HIGH expectations of himself and those around him(opps, sorry that's me again). I know this because I see some of myself in Joe...sorry Joe you got some of the good stuff from the Gabbard side...and well some of the stuff from the Lawson side...but it has meshed together to make one of the most unique, talented and gifted men of God. Lori is right. Joe has such a gift with words, especially, God's word and is able to communicate it so well. I am in awe of where this child came from?! He came from a love between his father and me, and is blessed with gifts and callings to bring a message to this generation. He is a voice calling in the wilderness, challenging God's people to step up a little higher. The prayers of parents prayed over 31 years ago have not gone unheard. They did not go to deaf ears. But the God of Heaven heard those heart cries and humble prayers of parents who truly believed that the children they were blessed with were destined to greatness.....not greatness as the world knows greatness. But greatness according to the Kingdom of God...the last beng first, the least being greatest....as Joe's blog states....simple humanity.....being touched and filled with divine destinty.

Until we meet again on my front porch...thank God for the blessings He has surrounded you with-people who love you and that you love. "This is my commandment that you love one another....and our joy will be complete".